{ *looks up at the top shelf*

*sees the tea*

*too short to reach it*

What to do... hm...

*shoves the shelf over and tea spills everywhere, flooding the floor*

Oops :) }

Those days in the courtroom were ones which seemed to go by in slow motion. Every word that came from James' mouth was a lie and Keith could feel his heart aching as he was kept in his chair. Even listening to him was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach and ready  to throw up all over the floor.

Even after Pidge testified for Keith, the omega could feel his entire body turning and twisting. Sitting across the room from James didn't help his anxiety at all, not even with Shiro and Lance and everyone else behind him. James wouldn't have been able to touch him, he knew that, he had to have, but after all the trauma... there was no amount of convincing that could help.

Keith stared off into space, zoning out until he heard that the closing arguments were beginning. He snapped back into the world and blinked, looking back and seeing Lance there. He calmed himself by focusing on his blue eye color and eventually reassuring smile when the alpha noticed him looking back.

" And so, to the jurors, I cannot do your job for you. You have been called here to be impartial and to do right by the law. The evidence has all been presented to you at this point. An omega, someone who had finally escaped the clutches of the abusive defendant, was yet again dragged back into his life only to be traumatized once more. It is time that James Griffin face the penalties for his actions, and can be locked away where he can never hurt another omega again. I yield back." Kinkade said, looking over the jury before returning to his seat. It was clear that he was passionate about the issue at hand.

James' lawyer could be seen sitting there with an annoyed expression. He couldn't exactly roll his eyes, but he was one step away from it. He got up and made his way over to where Kinkade had just been standing, then looked upon the jurors.

" Mr. Kinkade is right in the fact that all the evidence has been presented, but what he fails to acknowledge is all of the lack of it. The prosecution has failed to prove that my client raped him, failed to prove that my client posted those pictures, and failed to prove that Keith didn't consent. Who are you to believe? An omega who has been in and out of treatment for mental health issues, one who keeps changing his story, and one whose partner nearly got barred from the courtroom, or my client? My client has been completely prudent in here, not having the demeanor of someone who could commit the heinous acts he is accused of. All this case is is an omega with pent up anger, who chose to take it out on an alpha who only wanted his love and affection. I yield back."

Keith grit his teeth and looked to the side. His fists were clenched underneath the table and shaking as he tried to contain himself. Those were dirty and rotten lies. What?! Was his testimony not enough to prove the case against him?! He was so sick of lawyers and that courtroom and just wanted it all to be over. He wanted to get their series done and put it out there, then be done with it. He wanted to go back to normal with Lance, back to the simple times when they could take pictures in the strawberry patch, go for picnics, go shopping, cuddle together on the couch and watch Mean Girls. He wanted his life back.

The judge took a moment to let the words sink in to the jurors before announcing that they would be leaving to deliberate, and once they were gone, the court was given a fifteen minute recess. Almost as soon as Keith was in the hall, the tears started to slip down his cheeks and he shook.

Lance found him before anyone else could, guiding him toward the end of the hall and letting Keith cry into his chest. His shirt was most likely being soaked with tears, but Lance didn't care about that in the slightest. All he needed was to make sure that Keith was alright, and he did everything he could to help. One of his arms wrapped around Keith and his other hand raked through Keith's mullet.

" Don't cry, KitKat..." He murmured.

Keith reached and gripped the front of Lance's shirt, not knowing what else to do. He hated that he felt so weak. He hated that James' fate rested in other people's hands when he was the one who knew the truth.

" I want to go h-home..." The omega sniffled.

Lance knew that they couldn't leave yet. There was a certain amount of time they had to stay while the jurors deliberated, to see if it would be decided that day or if they'd have to come back.

" I know... I know... but we can't yet." Lance whispered, holding Keith close to himself. " I've got you, Keith, no matter what happens..."

Hearing scuffs behind them, Lance looked over his shoulder right away. He found that Shiro, Matt, Pidge, Hunk, Romelle, as well as Lotor were all approaching. Romelle had Lotor stay back somewhat as she came forward. Keith was her brother, after all. And Shiro did the same.

Keith pulled back from Lance and looked at his siblings with tears still gathered in the corners of his eyes. He just couldn't believe that it was over, and now they were waiting on the outcome. He couldn't believe that the past months of his life had all been leading up to these moments.

" We got him, Keith, I know we did." Shiro assured, and Romelle nodded.

" They would be absolutely insane not to convict him." She added.

Though Lance didn't want to let go of Keith, he figured he should. It seemed like Keith needed a hug from his family... but... what if Lance was family now too? He figured that out as Keith went back to hugging him, and Shiro and Romelle joined in, making it a group affair. The others joined one by one and they stayed silent for a minute, just trying to be there for Keith and support him through this absolutely horrid and tragic time. Even if the results hadn't been decided yet, he was reliving all of his past trauma.

It was a while before everyone had parted and Keith finally stepped back, wiping his eyes. He went and found Kinkade, thanking him for everything.

" We've done all that we can do." The lawyer said, putting a hand on Keith's shoulder. " It's been an honor working with you. You've been so strong through the process."

" Thank you." Keith said, sniffling.

...

They had been called back into the courtroom a little over two hours ago. Keith was standing on the other side of the bench, only a few feet away from his chair beside Kinkade, and Lance was standing up in the first row of the audience so they could talk and hold hands. He didn't want Keith to feel alone.

That was when the door could be heard creaking on the other side of the room, and the jurors came back into their seats. Keith's heart stopped and he felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead. He took his seat and waited as the jury stood.

" Has the jury reached a verdict?" The judge asked, to which the lead juror replied.

" Yes, your honor."

The tension had filled up the room by then and Lance focused on everything that was being said. James looked back at Allura, who nodded at him slightly.

" On the count of coercion, we find the defendant not guilty. On the count of false imprisonment, we find the defendant not guilty. On the count of harassment, we find the defendant guilty. On the count of sexual assault, we find the defendant not guilty."

There were cheers from one side of the courtroom, and Keith felt like the floor dropped out from under him. The words repeated in his ear and the room began to spin, almost in slow motion. He got dizzy and his head was like a brick as he fell out of his chair, smacking onto the hardwood floor and not moving.

Lance shot up.

" Keith?!"

Murmurs came alive among the crowd and people began to stand, and the policeman who stood by the judge rushed over, shaking Keith's shoulder.

" Sir? Sir, can you hear me?"

No reply.

Lance hopped over the divide and knelt by Keith, shaking him and respiring rapidly.

" Call an ambulance for god's sake!" He yelled.

" Is he alright?" The judge asked, and the police officer was trying to check vitals in the meantime. He had a heartbeat and he was breathing, but he was unconscious.

" I'm going to need EMS." He said, and Lance was already fumbling around with his phone. It was like he couldn't keep the air inside his lungs to stay put. Breathing had never been so difficult before, not ever. By then, other people in the audience were already calling 911 and telling them the situation.

Lance reached down and squeezed Keith's hand, nearly having forgotten what the jurors had said. He stayed there with him until the ambulance arrived, nearly having to be pried away from him by the personnel. Shiro was actually the one who had to hold him back.

" Let me ride with him!" Lance begged. " Please!"

And maybe they would've let him... but Lance was a danger to Keith's health right then. He couldn't stay away, and that would've impeded their ability to do their job. They carted Keith away with sirens blaring and Lance felt his knees getting weak. Shiro basically had to hold him up for a moment.

" Lance, hey, listen to me. We're going to follow them to the hospital."

It was all a blur as they sped after the ambulance, eventually losing it on the freeway as traffic parted for it. Lance was sitting in the backseat with wide eyes and Shiro had taken over driving the Jeep, being as Lance was in no state to be driving.

" Lance, can you try some deep breathing?"

That was a tall order right at the moment. Breathing? Keith was more important than that in Lance's mind for whatever reason. His alpha instincts were off the rails and it was all could do to keep himself together, and then he was supposed to add controlled breathing into the mix? Ha!

" This isn't the first time he's done this. I'm sure he just had a panic attack and passed out." Shiro said from the driver's seat, and though his words seemed dismissive, there was worry in his tone. He reached over and grabbed Matt's hand from the passenger seat as they kept speeding.

In the back with Lance was Hunk, but Pidge was in the left part of the middle row along with Lotor and Romelle. It was too serious of a situation for Lance to be mad at Lotor for being in the Jeep, so that made at least something easier.

Romelle glanced over to Lotor, her eyes beading as she made contact with his royal bluish colored orbs. There would've been something she had to say to him right then had it not been for everyone around them being so close. Instead, she pulled down the sleeve on her hand and slyly gripped his, hiding it between their thighs on the seat. Who could blame her? Her brother had just collapsed and aside from her family, Lotor was her support system these days.

" He's fine... I know he will be..." Pidge repeated to herself, somewhat scared even if she wouldn't admit to it. They were all still reeling from the fact that James had basically been let off the hook, aside from the sentencing for the harassment charge. It hadn't really set in completely yet, only manifesting as a complete sense of dread in that moment.

They arrived to the hospital only a few minutes behind Keith, Lance still a mess in the backseat when they did. Hunk had to help him out of there only to have him run toward the double doored entrance. Everyone else speed walked to keep up with him, Matt being especially out of breath by then. It was hard given the fact he was over a month pregnant. He just couldn't win.

Lance looked like he was ready to pounce over the receptionist's desk as he came in hot, then asked where Keith was.

" Oh yeah, shove us in a waiting room, real nice-"

" I'm so sorry. He's just so distraught." Shiro apologized for Lance and dragged him to where they'd been instructed to go, and Lance collapsed down into one of the chairs, cupping his face in his hands.

James was essentially a free man.

James wasn't going to jail.

Keith wouldn't get justice.

" I think I'm gonna be sick." Lance held his stomach.

" Okay, Hunk." Pidge remarked, trying to maybe calm him with sarcasm. To no one's surprise, it didn't work.

It was about an hour later by the time they were shown back to Keith's room. He'd undergone all of their standard tests to check for brain damage and other causes for his fainting, and he was more than a little out of it. He was sleepy, not really with things as he laid in the bed, only perking up when he felt Lance's hand in his own. And yes, he knew it was his alpha's before even opening his eyes.

" He hit his head pretty hard. He'll need someone to watch over him for a few days to make sure he's safe. People with concussions should have someone with them." The nurse explained.

" I live with him... I'll be there..." Lance told her, mumbling.

" We also think it would be best to keep him for the night, just to make sure nothing happens. The CT scan didn't show any bleeding but we still think observation is best. His panic attack led to the high heart rate which led to his fainting spell, so we have to make sure the attacks are under control."

" Thank you." Shiro told her, and she left after that.

" Lance..." Keith murmured, then yawned. His eyes struggled to open and he looked over at him.

Lance squeezed Keith's hand and took a deep breath, his heart rate finally starting to settle. Keith was okay... relatively.

" Yeah?" He asked quietly.

" I'm sleepy..."

" I know, Keith... just try and take a nap, okay?"

Keith didn't exactly nod at Lance, only turned his head to the side of the pillow. It wasn't long after that by the time he'd dozed off, and Lance didn't move from his spot or even speak a word until someone else talked.

" They bribed the jury. That's the only way." Pidge said. She was pacing around by the window, and Matt had taken a seat by the chair to her side. Shiro was standing, along with Romelle and Lotor.

" We can't prove that." Matt replied.

" Maybe they're just all idiots or rapists then, I don't know." Pidge scoffed. " We have to appeal this. We have to."

" I think we should stay with Keith for a couple days." Shiro told Matt. He didn't want to, but he knew that with Lance all hyped up... they had to make sure things were okay. " Is that fine with you, Lance?"

" Yeah. We need all the protection we can get with that low life, motherfucking, raping, trash pit, waste of space piece of shit out there." Lance growled to himself.

Everyone seemed shocked besides Pidge.

" Ditto."

All they could do at that point was appeal and fight, and pray that maybe... just maybe... the world would do the right thing.

{ Oh Keith baby I'm so sorry this happened...

But it's all my fault ;P }